Insulator-protector.



R. R. SPARKS.

INSULATOR PROTECTOR.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 20, 1908.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

lwucntot- ROBERT ROMNEY SPARKS, OF

GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

INBULATOR-PROTEGTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. May 20,

Patented Oct. 2'7, 1908.

1908. Serial No. 433,927.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronmrr ROMNEY SPARKS, a citizen of the l' nited States, residing at Greenfield, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts. have invented a new and useful lnsldatorlrotector, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to insulators for over-head electric conductors and more particularly to a housing or covering for the same. 4

The object of the invention is to provide a protective jacket or covering capable of being readily placed in position on an insulator and which will cllcctually house and prevent breakage oi the latter and also prevent leakage of the current.

A further object is to provide a jacket or covering having smooth interior walls adapted to frictionally engage the insulator and provided with an external circumferential seating groove for the reception oi a line wire.

still further object of the invention is gcncrally to improve this class of devices so as to increasc their utility, durability and cilieicncy as well as to reduce the cost of manl'ifaeturc.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form. proportions and minor details ol construction may be resorted to within the scopc of the appendcd claims.

in the :u-cmnpanying drawings forming a part o'l' this spccilicalion: Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a covcr or protcctor couslrnctcd' in awordancc with my invention, showing the samc in position on an insulator. l ig. 2 is a pcrspcclivo vicw Similar numcrals ol' rcl'crcncc indicalc corresponding parts in all of lhc ligurcs ol' the drawings.

'lhe improvcd covcr or jackct l'orming the subject inattcr ol the prcscut invcnlion is princi )ally dcsigncd l'or nsc on insulators for telephone or lclcgraph wircs or other over-head electric conductors and by way of illust ration. is shown in position on an insulator ol' the ordinanv construction in which 5 designates thc body of the insulator having its interior wall threaded at (3 for ongagement with the correspondingly threaded end of the supporting pin 7.

The cap or jacket is preferably formed of wood and includes a hollow body portion 8 having smooth interior walls 9 preferably tapered to correspond to the taper of the insulator 5 and adapted to frictionally engage the exterior walls of the latter when placed in position thereon. y

The cap or jacket entirely surrounds the insulator so as to etl'ectnally house and protect the latter from breakage by stones thrown by malicious persons or by sparks from a locomotive when the insulators are mounted in the vicinity of a rail-road.

Formed in the exterior walls of the cap or jacket 5 is a circumferential groove 10 which takes the place of the groove 11 in the insu lator and is adapted to receive the line wire.

By forming the cap or jacket of wood or similar insulating material the jacket not only serves to protect the insulator but also prevents leakage of the current.

in applying the cap or jacket the latter is pla cd in position over the upper or rounded end of an insulator and said jacket. forced downwardly in frictional engagement with the exterior walls of the insulator by tapping the same with a mullet or other suitable tool, thus dispcnsing with the employment; of keys, clamping hands and similar Fastening devices; for preventing accidcntal displaccmcnt oi the cap.

it will here be noted thatt'hchcight'of the cap or jacket is slightly greater than that of tlic in ulator proper o that when the cap is positioncd on thc insulator an inlcrmedlatc air spacc or chamber 12 will be l'ormcd hutwccn lhc top ol' the insulator and the ad juccnl surla'cc ol the cap thus allowing the ap to he l'urthvr adjusted on the insulator should the cap for any reason become loose or \vabhlc.

lho cxlcrior walls of the cap or jacket are preferably covcl'cd with a coating of tar and (lt'UHtlli in ordcr lo protcct the jacket from tlic action of thc clcmcnts.

\i'hilc it is prcl'crrcd to construct the cap or jaclu-l ol' wood it is obvious that the same niav hc l'ornu-d ol' gutla pcrcha. vcgetable lilu l' or other suitablc insulating material, without departing from the spirit. of the invontion.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided an extremely simple, inexpensive and efiicient device admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in View.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with an ii'isulator, of a removable jacket forming a housing for the insulator and held in frictional engage ment with the exterior walls of the. insulator.

2. The combination with an insulator having smooth imobstructed walls, of a removable jacket forming a housing for the insulator and held in position thereon by frictional engagement with the smooth exterior walls 01 the insulator, the exterior walls of the jacket being coated with a Water proof compound.

3. The combination with an insulator having its exterior Walls tapered and smooth and unobstructed, of a removable jacket forming a housing for the insulator and having smooth correspondingly tapered interior walls adapted to frictionally engage the exterior walls of said insulator.

4. The combination with an insulator having its exterior Walls tapered and smooth and unobstructed, of a jacket forming a housing for the insulator and having its interior Walls correspondingly tapered and smooth and unobstructed and adapted to frictionally engage the exterior Walls of the insulator, there being a circumferential wire seating groove formed in the exterior walls of said acket.

5. The combination with an insulator having its exterior walls tapered and smooth and unobstructed, of 21 acket surrounding the insulator and having its upper end spaced from the to p of the insulator, the interior Walls of the acket being correspondingly tapered and smooth and unobstructed for frictional engagement with the smooth exterior walls of the insulator, the exterior walls of said insulator being formed with a wire receiving groove. 7

6. As an article of manufacture, a protective jacket for insulators consisting of a hollow body portion formed of insulating material and having its interior walls tapered and smooth and unobstructed and its outer walls coated with a water proof compound and provided with a circumferential wire receiving groove.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as any own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence or two witnesses.

ROBERT ROMNEY SPARKS. itnesses I'lENRY C. SHEPARD, SAMUEL D. CoNAN'r. 

